The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-21
BARNUM BURNED OUT.
His Winter Quarters at
Bridgeport in Ashes.
BURNING OF THE ANIMALS
Thirty Elephants and Many Other
Beasts Break Out
LIONS ROAR AMID THE FLAMES.
A Hippopotamus Bursts From
His Burning Cage.

A Hippopotamus Bursts From
His Burning Cage.
Many OF the Animals. with the Wagons,
Cages, Canvas, and All the Parapberna-
lin of the Great show, Destroyed-Tho
Elephants Were the First of the Animals
to Give the Alarm, and Then the Lions
Set mp u Terrible Roar-Mr. Bnrnum
Sleeping Peacefully In the Murray Hill
Hotel Unconscious OF His Loss-Lieas,
Tigers, and Hycsas I.eose In the streets
People Barricade their Houses-Police-
men Pour Shot Into n Lien A. People
Tossed in tho streets by Mad Elephants.
BRIDGEPORT, Nov. 20.-At 10i o'clock to-
night Barnum & Baileys winter quarters caught
fire. and in half an hour the main building. con-
tanning nearly the whole outfit Of tho Greatest
Show on Earth was reduced to ashes involv-
ing a loss Of s1OOO,OOO. The winter quarters
were located at tho west end, close by tho
tracks Of tho New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad, and the cirrus had within
two weeks been housed for the winter. The
main building was Of wood, two stories high.
200 feet wide, and GOO feet long, and 1t con-
tanned all the animals Of the big travelling cir
Gus, the canvas, paraphernalia, chariots
parade and baggage wagons, tools, wardrobes
and cages. Everything is destroyed excepting
thirty elephants and one hippopotamus.
The fire originated in the north end OF the
building and is supposed to have caught from
tho explosion of watchman's lantern in the
room where horses are trained for the ring
This apartment was filed with light material
for bedding in the stables.
The flames were first seen by John Larry
who went to the West End engine house close
by and gave tho alarm, and the whole do
partment quickly responded. Before the five
sounds Of the fire bell had been struck tho
blaze had spread to the hay loft above the ami
mails room, and the light could be seen all over
the city.
In less than five minutes time, and before
the doors to the animal room could be opened
the heat was too great to approach the building
except at tho south end.
The elephants were the first Of the animals to
sound the alarm, and their roars could be heard
two blocks away. Each one of these great AMI.
mails was chained to q separate post, and it was
impossible for them to break loose The lions
then began to roar, and their bellowsings were
terrific, as the flames over their heads gained
Roadway. and fire began to drop through the
floor. ..,..
The crowd around the building kept on In
creasing, and policemen were obliged to force
them away. Lewis Hedges, the boss animal
keeper, with four workmen, broke In the south
door and liberated thirty elephants taking
them to an open lot where Barnum's toboggan
slide was erected last winter. When these ami
mails were led out, the crowd gave way and al
lowed them plenty Of room.
The frightened beasts formed In line and
breaking down high gate marched to tho
street of their own accord. They then started
Off toward Black Rock as fast as elephants can
move. The only other animals saved were
three lions and one hippopotamus. The latter
broke out of an east door and rushed through
the crowd Of spectators.
The poor animal had been liberated from his
cage by the flames, but not until tho cage tim
beers had burned away did he get out. The
flesh dropped Off in great patches as he ran.
and the sight was horrible to witness.
BY this time the whole main structure was
ablaze. and the roof timbers fell in before the
lower floor had burned. Tho loss will reach
close to $85O0OO The building was worth &c.,
OOO The canvas and paraphernalia cost $780,
0OO and the animals were worth 100000.
There was an insurance of only 100000.
Consequently the loss will fall principally on
Barnum & Bailey. Mr.. Barnum is at the MUIR
ray Hill Hotel, New York, and he was tele-
graphed to at once. James A. Bailey is at his
New York residence, "a St Nicholas place.
Charles Z. Brothwell is Mr.. Barnums Bridge
port agent. THE Sun reporter found him at
the fire. and he said that the show would Bios
som out bigger than ever in tho spring.
The foreign agents will DO cabled in the
morning to start out all their sub-agents for
attractions. Mr.. BrothweI said that the fire
would undoubtedly wind up Bridgeport as win
ter headquarters. and the show would in future
winter at Jersey City.
In one hour from the time the fire started the
big building was entirely burned up. and only
few small structures used rs shops were saved.
Two charots were rolled out Of the south en-
trance and saved. Otherwise tho whole show,
everything except the actors and few wagon
horses at White Plains, is consumed. Three
elephants brought up from Central Park on
Friday were burned.
The grounds upon which the great show was
housed is lined with railroad tracks. upon
which stand the hundred platform, baggage,
and sleeping cars These were all saved,
though they caught fire several times.
In the vicinity Of the winter quarters are sew
eraI hundred wooden cottages, mostly owned
by Barnum and Basslck. The inmates were
all on the roofs with pals of water to put out
the falling sparks which showcred the neigh
borhood
Three elephants, Samson, jim and Burt, per-
ished in the flames. Hundreds OF animals, in
Guiding elephants. lions, tigers, leopards,
camels, and horses were liberated or else broke
loose, and for hours afterward there was
tremendous uproar.
Several persons wcre picked up in the streets
by the Infatuated elephants and tossed all
around.
A detail OF police pursued roaring lion and
put six or seven bullets into his hide, but with
no perceptible result.
The whole western part Of the city Is barri-
caded against the animals that are loose in the
streets. One hyena has Just been seen running
down Park avenue toward Barnum's summer
residence, "Waldemerc," at Seaside Park,
and two tigers, which broke out Of the
burning building on the west side have cleared
Fairfield avenue for four or five blocks. These
animals did not get out until their cages wer
burned sufficiently TO liberate them. The hair
OF these poor brutes WAS burned entirely oil.
and rs they ran they howled with pain.
At the grounds tho crowd grows greater all